Hands-Only CPR
Hands-only CPR can save lives. The American Heart Association states that "Almost 90% of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die. CPR, especially if performed in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person's chance of survival." Most people who survive a cardiac emergency are helped by a bystander.- Check for responsiveness – shake the person and shout “Are you OK?”
- Call 9-1-1 – either tell someone to call or make the call yourself
- Compress - Push hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100 per minute.
Chest compressions should be continued until the person shows obvious life-like breathing, the scene becomes unsafe, an AED (automatic external defibrillator) becomes available, or a trained responder takes over the emergency treatment.
Alternating mouth-to-mouth breaths is not necessary using this method. Compressions are adequate except in drowning or drug overdose situations where 30 chest compressions are followed by two mouth-to-mouth breaths.
Watch this two-minute video and consider taking instructions from the Red Cross or other qualified provider. Every household should have at least one person trained in life-saving skills.
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